scholarly journals First evidence of underwater vocalisations in hunting penguins

PeerJ ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 7 ◽  
pp. e8240 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andréa Thiebault ◽  
Isabelle Charrier ◽  
Thierry Aubin ◽  
David B. Green ◽  
Pierre A. Pistorius
Keyword(s):  
Prey Capture ◽  
Group Formation ◽  
Maximum Amplitude ◽  
Sea Surface ◽  
Foraging Success ◽  
Video Cameras ◽  
Marine Predators ◽  
Hunting Behaviour ◽  
Study Species ◽  
Behavioural Adaptations

Seabirds are highly vocal on land where acoustic communication plays a crucial role in reproduction. Yet, seabirds spend most of their life at sea. They have developed a number of morphological, physiological and behavioural adaptations to forage in the marine environment. The use of acoustic signals at sea could potentially enhance seabirds’ foraging success, but remains largely unexplored. Penguins emit vocalisations from the sea surface when commuting, a behaviour possibly associated with group formation at sea. Still, they are unique in their exceptional diving abilities and feed entirely underwater. Other air-breathing marine predators that feed under water, like cetaceans, pinnipeds and marine turtles, are known to emit sound underwater, but such behaviour has not yet been described in seabirds. We aimed to assess the potential prevalence and diversity of vocalisations emitted underwater by penguins. We chose three study species from three different genera, and equipped foraging adults with video cameras with built-in microphones. We recorded a total of 203 underwater vocalisation from all three species during 4 h 43 min of underwater footage. Vocalisations were very short in duration (0.06 s on average), with a frequency of maximum amplitude averaging 998 Hz, 1097 Hz and 680 Hz for King, Gentoo and Macaroni penguins, respectively. All vocalisations were emitted during feeding dives and more than 50% of them were directly associated with hunting behaviour, preceeded by an acceleration (by 2.2 s on average) and/or followed by a prey capture attempt (after 0.12 s on average). The function of these vocalisations remain speculative. Although it seems to be related to hunting behaviour, these novel observations warrant further investigation.

Kalahari Cheetahs

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gus Mills ◽  
Margaret Mills
Keyword(s):  
Reproductive Success ◽  
Spatial Ecology ◽  
Prey Selection ◽  
Arid Ecosystems ◽  
Foraging Success ◽  
Ecological Processes ◽  
Demographic Groups ◽  
Important Prey ◽  
Hunting Behaviour ◽  
The Impact

This book demonstrates how cheetahs are adapted to arid savannahs like the southern Kalahari, and makes comparisons with other areas, especially the Serengeti. Topics dealt with are: demography and genetic status; feeding ecology, i.e. methods used for studying diet, diets of different demographic groups, individual diet specializations of females, prey selection, the impact of cheetah predation on prey populations, activity regimes and distances travelled per day, hunting behaviour, foraging success and energetics; interspecific competition; spatial ecology; reproductive success and the mating system; and conservation. The major findings show that cheetahs are well adapted to arid ecosystems and are water independent. Cheetah density in the study area was stable at 0.7/100 km2 and the population was genetically diverse. Important prey were steenbok and springbok for females with cubs, gemsbok, and adult ostrich for coalition males, and steenbok, springhares, and hares for single animals. Cheetahs had a density-dependent regulatory effect on steenbok and springbok populations. Females with large cubs had the highest overall food intake. Cheetahs, especially males, were often active at night, and competition with other large carnivores, both by exploitation and interference, was slight. Although predation on small cubs was severe, cub survival to adolescence was six times higher than in the Serengeti. There was no difference in reproductive success between single and coalition males. The conservation priority for cheetahs should be to maintain protected areas over a spectrum of landscapes to allow ecological processes, of which the cheetah is an integral part, to proceed unhindered.

scholarly journals Natural dimethyl sulfide gradients would lead marine predators to higher prey biomass

2021 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Kylie Owen ◽  
Kentaro Saeki ◽  
Joseph D. Warren ◽  
Alessandro Bocconcelli ◽  
David N. Wiley ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Laboratory Experiments ◽  
Dimethyl Sulfide ◽  
Zooplankton Biomass ◽  
Foraging Success ◽  
Spatially Correlated ◽  
Prey Biomass ◽  
Marine Predators ◽  
Predator Foraging ◽  
The Impact

AbstractFinding prey is essential to survival, with marine predators hypothesised to track chemicals such as dimethyl sulfide (DMS) while foraging. Many predators are attracted to artificially released DMS, and laboratory experiments have shown that zooplankton grazing on phytoplankton accelerates DMS release. However, whether natural DMS concentrations are useful for predators and correlated to areas of high prey biomass remains a fundamental knowledge gap. Here, we used concurrent hydroacoustic surveys and in situ DMS measurements to present evidence that zooplankton biomass is spatially correlated to natural DMS concentration in air and seawater. Using agent simulations, we also show that following gradients of DMS would lead zooplankton predators to areas of higher prey biomass than swimming randomly. Further understanding of the conditions and scales over which these gradients occur, and how they are used by predators, is essential to predicting the impact of future changes in the ocean on predator foraging success.

scholarly journals Spatial and Temporal Characterization of Sea Surface Temperature Response to Tropical Cyclones*

2013 ◽  
Vol 26 (11) ◽  
pp. 3745-3765 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wei Mei ◽  
Claudia Pasquero
Keyword(s):  
Surface Temperature ◽  
Sea Surface Temperature ◽  
Tropical Cyclones ◽  
Mixed Layer ◽  
Temperature Response ◽  
Maximum Amplitude ◽  
Sea Surface ◽  
Translation Speed ◽  
Linear Behavior ◽  
Sst Anomaly

Abstract The spatial structure and temporal evolution of the sea surface temperature (SST) anomaly (SSTA) associated with the passage of tropical cyclones (TCs), as well as their sensitivity to TC characteristics (including TC intensity and translation speed) and oceanic climatological conditions (represented here by latitude), are thoroughly examined by means of composite analysis using satellite-derived SST data. The magnitude of the TC-generated SSTA is larger for more intense, slower-moving, and higher-latitude TCs, and it occurs earlier in time for faster-moving and higher-latitude storms. The location of maximum SSTA is farther off the TC track for faster-moving storms, and it moves toward the track with time after the TC passage. The spatial extension of the cold wake is greater for more intense and for slower-moving storms, but its shape is quite independent of TC characteristics. Consistent with previous studies, the calculations show that the mean SSTA over a TC-centered box nearly linearly correlates with the wind speed for TCs below category 3 intensity while for stronger TCs the SSTA levels off, both for tropical and subtropical regions. While the linear behavior is expected on the basis of the more vigorous mixing induced by stronger winds and is derived from a simple mixed-layer model, the level-off for intense TCs is discussed in terms of the dependence of the maximum amplitude of the area-mean SSTA on TC translation speed and depth of the prestorm mixed layer. Finally, the decay time scale of the TC-induced SSTA is shown to be dominated by environmental conditions and has no clear dependence on its initial magnitude and on TC characteristics.

scholarly journals Seasonal Characteristics of Circulation in the Southeastern Tropical Indian Ocean*

2005 ◽  
Vol 35 (2) ◽  
pp. 255-267 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tangdong Qu ◽  
Gary Meyers
Keyword(s):  
Indian Ocean ◽  
Annual Variation ◽  
Maximum Amplitude ◽  
Tropical Indian Ocean ◽  
Surface Flow ◽  
Sea Surface ◽  
The South ◽  
Near Surface ◽  
Seasonal Characteristics ◽  
Southeastern Tropical Indian Ocean

Abstract The circulation in the southeastern tropical Indian Ocean is studied using historical temperature and salinity data. A southward shift of the subtropical gyre at increasing depth dominates the structure of the annual mean circulation. Near the southern Indonesian coast the westward South Equatorial Current (SEC) is at the sea surface and strongest near 10°–11°S, reflecting strong influence of the Indonesian Throughflow (ITF). In latitudes 13°–25°S the SEC is a subsurface flow and its velocity core deepens toward the south, falling below 500 m at 25°S. The eastern gyral current (EGC) is a surface flow overlying the SEC, associated with the meridional gradients of near-surface temperature and salinity. The ITF supplies water to the SEC mainly in the upper 400 m, and below that depth the flow is reversed along the coast of Sumatra and Java. Monsoon winds strongly force the annual variation in circulation. Dynamic height at the sea surface has a maximum amplitude at 10°–13°S, and the maximum at deeper levels is located farther south. Annual variation is also strong in the coastal waveguides, but is mainly confined to the near-surface layer. Although the South Java Current at the sea surface is not well resolved in the present dataset, semiannual variation is markedly evident at depth and tends to extend much deeper than the annual variation along the coast of Sumatra and Java.

scholarly journals Breeding Stage and Environmental Factors Affect Prey Selection by Greater Crested Terns Off Southeast Australia

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Katrin Quiring ◽  
Gemma Carroll ◽  
Eckhard Heymann ◽  
Curtis Champion ◽  
Robert Harcourt
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Factors ◽  
Diet Composition ◽  
Foraging Behaviour ◽  
Prey Selection ◽  
Sea Surface ◽  
Chick Growth ◽  
Breeding Stage ◽  
Marine Predators ◽  
Selective Foraging ◽  
Family Level

Abstract Variation in the diet of marine predators such as seabirds can be used to track environmentally-driven changes in ocean ecosystems. However, studies of predator diet must account for intrinsic influences on prey selection, such as changing nutritional requirements during breeding. Using digital photography, we investigated how the type and size of prey brought back to the colony by greater crested terns (Thalasseus bergii) changed in relation to breeding stage, and to variation in oceanographic conditions around Montague Island, Australia (36°15’S, 150°13’E). 2469 prey items were identified to species or family level over 35 consecutive days of photo-sampling in 2018. Australian anchovy (Engraulis australis), a surface-schooling clupeid fish, was the most abundant prey returned to the colony during all breeding stages (84.5%). The proportion of anchovy increased from 77.0% when birds were provisioning their adult partners during incubation, to 92.4% when they were provisioning chicks, suggesting selective foraging behaviour on this energy-dense species as a means to facilitate rapid chick growth. Anchovy size was largest during incubation (91.1 ± 14.9 mm), smallest during early chick provisioning (71.8 ± 11.0 mm), and increased slightly during mid-provisioning (79.6 ± 11.9 mm), indicating adaptive prey selection that is matched to the physical requirements of different breeding stages. The proportion of anchovy prey was also influenced by extrinsic environmental factors, with anchovy becoming more dominant with increasing local sea surface temperatures, up to ~17.5°C. Our findings highlight the importance of examining both intrinsic and extrinsic determinants of diet composition across breeding stages in seabird populations.

scholarly journals Parallel channels for motion feature extraction in the pretectum and tectum of larval zebrafish

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kun Wang ◽  
Julian Hinz ◽  
Yue Zhang ◽  
Tod R. Thiele ◽  
Aristides B Arrenberg
Keyword(s):  
Feature Extraction ◽  
Visual Field ◽  
Prey Capture ◽  
Receptive Fields ◽  
Lower Visual Field ◽  
Motion Feature ◽  
Hunting Behaviour ◽  
Sensorimotor Transformations ◽  
Visual Areas ◽  
Tectal Neurons

AbstractNon-cortical visual areas in vertebrate brains extract different stimulus features, such as motion, object size and location, to support behavioural tasks. The optic tectum and pretectum, two primary visual areas, are thought to fulfil complementary biological functions in zebrafish to support prey capture and optomotor stabilisation behaviour. However, the adaptations of these brain areas to behaviourally relevant stimulus statistics are unknown. Here, we used calcium imaging to characterize the receptive fields of 1,926 motion-sensitive neurons in diencephalon and midbrain. We show that many caudal pretectal neurons have large receptive fields (RFs), whereas RFs of tectal neurons are smaller and mostly size-selective. RF centres of large-size RF neurons in the pretectum are predominantly located in the lower visual field, while tectal neurons sample the upper-nasal visual field more densely. This tectal visual field sampling matches the expected prey item locations, suggesting that the tectal magnification of the upper-nasal visual field might be an adaptation to hunting behaviour. Finally, we probed optomotor responsiveness and found that even relatively small stimuli drive optomotor swimming, if presented in the lower-temporal visual field, suggesting that the pretectum preferably samples information from this region on the ground to inform optomotor behaviour. Our characterization of the parallel processing channels for non-cortical motion feature extraction provides a basis for further investigation into the sensorimotor transformations of the zebrafish brain and its adaptations to habitat and lifestyle.

scholarly journals Motor correlates of learning behaviour: feeding on novel prey by pumpkinseed sunfish (Lepomis gibbosus)

1986 ◽  
Vol 126 (1) ◽  
pp. 237-247 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. C. Wainwright
Keyword(s):  
Muscle Activity ◽  
Prey Capture ◽  
Average Duration ◽  
Maximum Amplitude ◽  
Lepomis Gibbosus ◽  
Learning Behaviour ◽  
Functional Determinant ◽  
Feeding Performance ◽  
Pumpkinseed Sunfish ◽  
Improved Performance

The functional basis of learning in prey capture was investigated in the pumpkinseed sunfish (Lepomis gibbosus). Feeding performance of sunfishes was assessed when the fish were first fed a novel, elusive prey (guppies) and compared with their performance after several weeks of experience with capturing guppies. During these feedings electromyographic recordings were made to document the pattern of activity in four jaw muscles at the strike. With experience, the L. gibbosus improved their ability to capture guppies, and several changes in the pattern of muscle activity were associated with this improved performance. Average duration and maximum amplitude of activity in all muscles increased between trials. Previous studies of muscle activity modulation in fishes indicate that these changes could improve feeding performance on an elusive prey. Thus, specific modifications of muscle activity appear to be one functional determinant of feeding success in fishes.

Sea Surface Gravity Waves Excited by Dynamic Ground Motions from Large Regional Earthquakes

2020 ◽  
Vol 91 (4) ◽  
pp. 2268-2277 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yoshihiro Ito ◽  
Spahr C. Webb ◽  
Yoshihiro Kaneko ◽  
Laura M. Wallace ◽  
Ryota Hino
Keyword(s):  
Gravity Waves ◽  
Seismic Waves ◽  
Ground Motions ◽  
Maximum Amplitude ◽  
Sea Surface ◽  
Surface Gravity ◽  
Accretionary Wedge ◽  
Low Velocity ◽  
Infragravity Waves ◽  
Surface Gravity Waves

Abstract Infragravity waves on the sea surface near coastlines are occasionally excited by static displacement caused by large local earthquakes and recorded as tsunamis. However, tsunamis induced by ground motions from seismic waves are rarely observed, especially far from earthquake focal areas. We investigated seafloor pressure variations in the infragravity band at the Hikurangi subduction zone following the M 7.8 Kaikōura and M 7.1 Te Araroa earthquakes. Anomalous infragravity waves were observed at 0.2–20 mHz at sites overlying a low-velocity accretionary wedge offshore of the east coast of New Zealand’s North Island accompanying the Rayleigh-wave arrivals. The maximum amplitude of these ultra-low-frequency waves was similar to the tsunami that propagated from the earthquake focal area hours later. The amplitude of the pressure signal from these waves observed offshore varied inversely with water depth, suggesting that sea surface gravity waves were excited by Rayleigh or Love waves amplified within the accretionary wedge.

Dynamic Behavior Analysis of a Deepwater Self Standing Hybrid Riser System

2012 ◽  
Author(s):  
Celso K. Morooka ◽  
Denis A. Shiguemoto
Keyword(s):  
Dynamic Behavior ◽  
Maximum Amplitude ◽  
Ocean Waves ◽  
Numerical Approach ◽  
Sea Surface ◽  
Hydrodynamic Drag ◽  
Floating Platform ◽  
Riser Pipe ◽  
Sea Bottom ◽  
Flexible Jumper

Self Standing Hybrid Riser (SSHR) system is an attractive option for deepwater application. The system is composed by a vertical riser pipe coming from the sea bottom to a subsurface buoy which is placed in around one hundred meter water depth from the sea surface. It is connected to a floating production facility at the sea surface by a flexible jumper. It almost eliminates all the undesired dynamic effects from ocean waves, in addition to relief the total riser system weight from the floating platform. Recent discoveries of petroleum in ultra-deep water Pre-salt Offshore Brazil stimulated development of innovative and nontraditional riser system configurations. The present work deals with the dynamic behavior of a SSHR system excited by sea current, waves and displacements induced by sea surface platform motions. In plane and out of plane displacements for the SSHR system is analyzed and subsurface buoy maximum motions amplitude have been observed. Effects from current drag and vortex induced forces are investigated by numerical simulations of the dynamic behavior of the SSHR system. Analysis procedure is presented with details, and fundamentals of the semi-empirical approach for hydrodynamic drag and vortex induced forces in the riser length and subsurface buoy are described. Numerical simulation results are presented, and evaluations are conducted for deepwater condition. Maximum amplitude of vibration is observed near from to lock-in conditions, and effects of the subsurface buoy vortex induced motion (VIM) are discussed. Hydrodynamic forces previously obtained from reduced model tests are used for the numerical approach.

Notes on the diet and foraging habits of the Giant Barred Frog Mixophyes iteratus

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
G. Madani
Keyword(s):  
Stomach Content ◽  
Prey Capture ◽  
Limited Information ◽  
Foraging Patterns ◽  
Faecal Analysis ◽  
Hunting Behaviour ◽  
Direct Observations ◽  
Ambush Predators

Australian anurans generally display little prey specialisation. Most data available of frog diet is limited to stomach content and faecal analysis with few direct observations of prey capture. Limited information is available on the diet of adult Giant Barred Frogs Mixophyes iteratus. In this paper I report on several observations of M. iteratus feeding on a variety of prey from various taxa. These observations suggest that M. iteratus are opportunistic, ambush predators with a broad diet. Their morphology and hunting behaviour align with existing models of amphibian foraging patterns.

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